Associate Creative Director – UK

Job description

Job Description We're growing our Design team and we're looking for an exceptional Associate Creative Director with branding and packaging experience, ideally within the Personal Care category but also spanning alcohol and beauty. WHO YOU ARE We’re looking for a branding and packaging creative genius. You’re a calm, strategic presence, trusted to lead major creative work with vision, maturity and clarity. You hold the line on quality, inspire belief in bold ideas and bring others with you. You know how to push creative boundaries while protecting the integrity of the process. You see complexity as opportunity, guide teams with generosity, and create space for both challenge and growth. Clients and creatives alike trust your voice, because it comes from experience, insight and care. RESPONSIBILITIES Creative thinking & crafting excellence You direct creative output across teams, helping shape big ideas and ensuring they’re brought to life with clarity, beauty and boldness. You push for work that provokes emotion, drives connection and delivers distinction, helping teams reach higher without losing focus. You champion intelligent use of AI, helping teams work smarter, push creative boundaries and stay future-fit. Strategic & brand alignment You connect dots across the brand landscape, helping ensure that creative thinking stays rooted in insight and aligned with long-term brand ambition. You challenge creatively, constructively and always with the goal of getting to stronger, sharper work. Studio process & project delivery You oversee creative quality and operational flow across multiple workstreams. You work with CDs, Client Partnership and Studio Management to plan the right resourcing and shape teams to succeed. You see around corners, anticipate pinch points and make calm, clear decisions that protect the work and the people behind it. Team collaboration & contribution You foster a culture of inclusion, high standards and mutual support. You collaborate generously, model resilience and help set the emotional tone for teams under pressure. You share knowledge, nurture energy and help teams thrive. Leadership & mentoring You coach and support team leads and emerging talent, creating space for others to step up while offering consistent guidance. You model what grounded leadership looks like: clear, curious, generous and accountable. You’re someone others want to follow. Commercial acumen You hold the commercial health of your creative projects, understanding timelines, resourcing and value creation across phases. You mentor others in time management, budget awareness and protecting scope. You help balance ambition with sustainability, knowing both are needed for creative excellence to endure. EXPERIENCE You’re likely operating at Associate Creative Director level, with a standout portfolio of branding and packaging work. You’ve led projects end to end, set creative direction and earned trust from both clients and teams. Regrettably we cannot consider candidates who aren't able to demonstrate significant packaging experience. LOCATION AND FLEXIBILITY Full-time (40 hours per week), with 3 days per week in the office, ideally in our Tunbridge Wells studio but this role could also be based out of our London studio. SOUNDS LIKE A FIT? LETS TALK. Please note: No recruiters please. Regretfully, we can't always respond to every applicant, but we do try. JDO UK JDO UK is home to two creative hubs: our headquarters in the historic heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells and our central London studio. Each of us is based at one location, but we work as one team; sharing ideas, collaborating across disciplines and supporting each other to deliver our strongest work.
Moving between the two studios gives us fresh perspectives and new energy, while helping ideas cross-pollinate. We’re part of JDO’s international network of designers, brand strategists and client partnership experts, partnering with some of the world’s most loved and influential brands. Our work spans brand and creative strategy, packaging and product design, innovation and sustainability, and experiential and campaign activation. Whatever the brief, we create brand worlds that connect, inspire and stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape.